


The price of revenge

by Bl4ckHunter



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Arrow s03e04: The Magician, Laurel Lance gets a reality check, Other, Sibling Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-18 13:13:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28618602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bl4ckHunter/pseuds/Bl4ckHunter
Summary: One-shot story. Takes place in 3x04. Oliver gives Laurel a reality check after he rescues Thea.
Relationships: Oliver Queen and Laurel Lance, Oliver Queen and Thea Queen
Comments: 5
Kudos: 9





	The price of revenge

**Author's Note:**

> I was re-reading one of Stand and Ward and Queen's now deleted Arrow stories that I had kept in PDF form and this was something I had to let out. Also partly inspired by his one-shot 'Fall of Speedy'.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own DC Comics or the CW TV shows Arrow, The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl or any other characters or elements pertaining to the mentioned franchises.

"Oliver, regardless of what happened, how could you let Merlyn go? After how many people he's killed, Tommy included?" Laurel demanded angrily.

"Last time I barely beat him. And after having to take on both Nyssa and Malcolm tonight, I doubt he'd go down easily." Oliver reminded. "Besides, it didn't have to go down the way it did, if not for you." He shot Laurel a pointed look as she winced.

"I know. I know that I put Thea in danger by telling Nyssa to do whatever it takes but we'd all be better off with Malcolm off—" Laurel started.

"That is not the point. You let your emotions dictate your actions and one day, it's going to get either you or someone else killed." Oliver said and Laurel immediately tensed and looked away in shame, knowing he was right. "Laurel, I understand anger and grief more than anyone else and as someone who's been there, if you let that cloud your judgement, it's going to hurt not just you but the people you love. I know you want to do right by Sara, but if you can't get ahold of your feelings, who's going to pay the price for it next time?"

Oliver walked out of the lair as Laurel just stared with a contemplative look on her face.

**Author's Note:**

> Look, I like Laurel, partly because of my soft spot for Katie Cassidy (Honestly, guys, is it wrong that despite that their characters are terribly written, I have a soft spot for Katie Cassidy, Juliana Harkavy and Melissa Benoist and I want to write their characters more likeable? I swear, I don't have that many soft spots.), but also because Laurel was mishandled by the writers and treated like crap and had so much potential but to be blunt, the first half of Season 2, in Season 3 and in 4x05, she was just insufferable, which I chalk up to the crappy writing of MG/WM. Season 2, do I need to go on about the drug addict arc? While understandable to an extent, it just made Laurel unlikeable, which we can of course blame on Guggenheim.
> 
> In Season 3, Laurel's journey as the Black Canary was just rushed and unrealistic, since few weeks of training with Ted Grant and Nyssa make her nowhere as good as Sara and I found it ridiculous that she was able to hold her own against the members of the League of Assassins towards the end of the season. In Season 4, the only time Laurel was annoying was when she brought Sara back to life and it's annoying that she was blaming her own decisions and fallout from it on Oliver.
> 
> And as intriguing as Oliver/E-1 Laurel is, well, asides from the issue of the fanatics obsessed over Laurel, Oliver cheating on her with Sara and Samantha and Laurel allegedly getting Sara grounded, so that Laurel could date Oliver, another issue with the pairing is that Laurel often blames Oliver for her own mistakes and consequences stemming from it and Oliver takes them without protesting because he wants to protect her from the fallout of her decisions and even takes the blame for them, which is another reason why the pairing doesn't work well, in comparison to other love interests for Oliver.
> 
> Also, just like Quentin, Laurel tends to let her emotions get the best of her and drive her to irrational actions. She already had a pretty good idea what the League was capable of, yet she told Nyssa to do whatever it takes to take Malcolm out, putting Thea in danger in the process and she convinced Thea to serve Malcolm up to the League, which was idiotic, since the League tends to also go after the family of those on whom they want to incur their 'justice'. The only reason Ra's didn't kill Thea, when she offered him up, was because of the prophecy, with Nyssa, while she was also prone to let her emotions dictate her actions, like when she wanted to avenge Sara, in Season 3, she also wasn't completely without reason, like when Thea was basically trying to commit suicide out of guilt and Nyssa showed character growth by sparing her, since she knew Malcolm was responsible and she was also willing to work with Oliver and Team Arrow and then eventually became their ally to stop her father.
> 
> Please review and let me know if you have enjoyed this one-shot.
> 
> With regards
> 
> Bl4ckHunter


End file.
